American SC vs Australasian SC

Crochet!
1

I learned to crochet when I was very young. I was taught by my step mother. She told me what each stitch was called and why, but of course I forgot.

So when I picked up the art of crochet again this year, I taught myself using the book “Stitch N’ Bitch Crochet - The Happy Hooker”. I must add now that I was born and raised in the states but moved to New Zealand some 6-7 years ago. Anyway… this is an American book, so I’m assuming that it is the American terms for everything, right?

I know that my MIL (who lives here in NZ and also crochets) often has to clarify if I’m using “the American lingo” or “her lingo”. So this leads me to my question. What IS the difference between the American sc and dc and the Australasian/European sc and dc? And I wonder which one I’m doing? LOL

2

Yes, there is a difference between the USA and UK and Australian crochet.
USA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>UK
single >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>double crochet
extended single>>>>>>>>>> extended double
half double>>>>>>>>>>>>> half treble
double >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>treble
treble>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> double treble
double treble>>>>>>>>>>>> triple treble

I got this from " The Crochet Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden".
My friend in England sent me a pattern for a shawl and I had to ask USA or UK and do a translation of stitches.
I got a kit with book by Klutz ( who is Australian) and the book is English/Australian.
Hope this helps. If the pattern isn’t USA then you have to translate stitches.

3

Something else just occurred to me as well. I wonder if that darn hat pattern I was working on ages ago was in fact NOT an American pattern, but a NZ one. That would explain why it was so off in size. LOL

I mean… I always knew there was a difference. I just never knew what the difference was (ie what each term meant in each region). So when it calls for a SC in a pattern from HERE, it actually means a slip stitch, which is the American term. slaps forehead I feel silly now! :rofl:

4

I have gotten into the habit of checking whether a pattern is USA or UK or Australian as I don’t want to have to rip out unless I make a mistake. I didn’t once and I really ripped out a lot of knitted rows at the time.:aww: